[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6081377,"mediaKeyId","2942758-3ef973fcb84339371b4ccba23011e5c9","parentId",2942758,"title","Superintendent presents draft FY26 budget; district requests $6.44 million from city, seeks further revenues","audioSeconds",1100,"startMs",5881000,"endMs",6981000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2942758-3ef973fcb84339371b4ccba23011e5c9&start=5881&end=6981","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2942758-3ef973fcb84339371b4ccba23011e5c9/thumbnail_5881000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6081377/Massachusetts/Superintendent-presents-draft-FY26-budget-district-requests-644-million-from-city-seeks-further-revenues","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081377-090fb42f03afdc3a9b40999e0cd5a736/orig.mp4?Expires=1775917050&Signature=KnXs7b8o~fQggWs-ZxU6tRTcboBmvTqJmYpzSeGe9ZitxJUZ0ikUUcIA6SyzhF1qRiDH2-GNA8oUKzz7fgUBsTd8mUnXqAu4GqS24mAKYfxU1CgJVnDUvS2QaAQfZ7bGfprlYGJh0Hm2tidx6Yq5-OYONYdgiC6vmD7tKMVUBmog8uwMGjqZ25XTpDumn3P~ZIegKn~a6pMHIkfgbP4kqJWMsnHx-tgoOrrtphfcNEJ4cAtnA0F4LixY3PmymSULhivXdxdibsasmyL-iWsPbX7exxksdOBZ9qcskQiqmSaFcZNjukSKgJ3DnELgmZ~GO3X7qo8n8ZxVeUxLtjLvjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Beverly Public Schools, MA","date","2025-04-10T11:59:55.987Z","article","The Beverly School Committee received an update on the district’s draft FY26 operating budget at its April 9 meeting. District leaders presented a 0‑based budget proposal that reflects higher wages and benefits, rising special‑education costs and transportation pressures; the draft includes a city contribution request of approximately $6.44 million (an 8.8% increase over the prior year) and a still‑unfilled revenue gap the district said it expects to cover through a combination of state aid movement, local revenues and internal adjustments.

Why it matters: Staffing and contractual costs remain the largest drivers of the budget. District leaders told the committee they intend to preserve core programs — including career pathways, fine arts and social‑emotional staffing — while looking for efficiencies and reassignments to limit classroom impact.

Key numbers and approach: District staff said an initial run of required increases exceeded $9 million before offsetting actions; after identifying staffing realignments, repurposed roles, previously grant‑funded position changes and other savings the net projected increase is roughly $6.0–6.5 million (reported as an 8.8% budget increase). The district asked the city for $6.44 million in additional local funding; the superintendent said final state Chapter 70 aid numbers are pending and could affect the remaining gap. Presenters referenced the governor’s proposed Chapter 70 figure cited in the meeting packet.

Planned offsets and strategies: The presentation outlined several strategies staff are pursuing to narrow the gap, including:
- Enrollment‑driven staffing adjustments (matching staff to projected course and grade needs).
- Repurposing vacant, non‑student‑facing positions and aligning central office duties following recent retirements.
- Realigning grant‑funded positions and reviewing previously contracted services (HVAC, fellows, consultants).
- Targeted reductions (for example, moving away from some kindergarten/first‑grade 1:1 device models and consolidating software licenses) and shifting eligible food‑service equipment repair costs to the school lunch fund where state rules permit.
- Adjusting preschool staffing to match rolling enrollment and repurposing some roles to provide coaching to AIM (autism) classrooms.

Grants and state actions: The district noted new state action relevant to special‑education transportation and circuit breaker reimbursement: a proposed House supplemental that would allocate additional circuit‑breaker funds (the presentation cited a $58 million supplemental carve‑out for circuit breaker shortfalls) and items to study school transportation costs at the state level. District leaders said increased circuit breaker funding would reduce the FY25 shortfall; the FY26 Chapter 70 allocation remained under discussion at the state level.

Next steps and timeline: The district will refine building‑level cost centers and present a final draft at the committee’s May 14 budget hearing. Committee members were invited to schedule one‑on‑one briefings with the superintendent before that meeting. The superintendent asked the committee to expect a formal budget vote after the public hearing and for the board to submit its request to the city appropriators following the committee vote.

Committee reaction: Members asked for further detail on library staffing, special‑education caseloads and the preschool program. Several committee members thanked staff for using a zero‑based approach and for early outreach to city leaders; the mayor and city negotiators were described as actively engaged in the multi‑year budgeting discussions.

Operational note: District staff emphasized that the projections assume typical enrollment patterns but that mid‑year transfers and Essex Tech enrollments can materially affect course staffing at the high school; staff said they will continue to monitor enrollments and will bring regular updates to the committee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Committee: CISL and Reg. School Committee Meeting (hybrid remote) 04/09/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Beverly School Committee received an FY26 draft budget update on April 9; the district is seeking roughly $6.44 million in additional city funding and outlined steps to narrow remaining gaps while preserving core programs.","taxTitle","Beverly Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",71053,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6081387,"Beverly reports multi‑year shift to knowledge‑based ELA curriculum; coaches and students cite improvements",3428,486000,3914000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2942758-3ef973fcb84339371b4ccba23011e5c9&start=486&end=3914","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2942758-3ef973fcb84339371b4ccba23011e5c9/thumbnail_486000.jpg","/articles/6081387/Massachusetts/Beverly-reports-multiyear-shift-to-knowledgebased-ELA-curriculum-coaches-and-students-cite-improvements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081387-faa98895564f7d73994714295dc31991/orig.mp4?Expires=1775917050&Signature=PitTisSrYPPZ57D~HwI1Z74wDpVvODXMAF~hCYNKHLqncNZa8kQaGQ-94cRpZuQmhUJWJgLf5MqDsZU1L-lrhmWzN4vn~yJyV1F26y6wNfFmFJp1PXSyswbFIUjpviuUKnK3voeMLo4bqTUhq0KthmYanV56LawBjAWYj8kp7wGiWPE-RwHhyPCKY3yJYQyW6ac0n-oqw459LpHxPp4mCN-OBwqjf98OvZP0Z8R9glQrjFfmQzQCMqwDxXqdbGvexvzlWgVFS1akwis7b9qWEfATj2-6RxZwJAJb7pdTR5MIwoBXyBeH0XQkhY9-Kr-SPDhHKml7GeESYp8BXfD20w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the April 9 meeting of the Beverly School Committee, district instructional leaders, coaches, teachers and students presented a progress report on a multi‑year K–12 shift to a knowledge‑based English language arts curriculum.

District officials said the elementary program Wit & Wisdom is in its third year of implementation and that the district has expanded writing models and knowledge‑building lessons across K–8. Literacy coaches and classroom teachers described staged professional development funded in part by DESE grants and delivered with vendor support from Great Minds and consultant partners.

Why it matters: The district framed the work as a sustained curriculum change intended to improve reading comprehension and writing outcomes by giving students deeper, topic‑based background knowledge and common writing structures that build from grade to grade.

District coaches said the first two years focused on acclimation, pacing and consistent lesson structure; year three, they said, emphasized “productive struggle” and transfer of writing skills. Heidi Moran, identified in the meeting as a literacy coach at Cove, said teachers asked for more targeted writing support and that a summer professional‑development week was designed with teacher input: “It was unanimous that people felt like they needed a little bit of help with writing,” Moran said. She and colleagues said teachers identified exemplars from Beverly students that district staff then used as anchor papers.

Instructional coaches described layering supplemental texts and read‑alouds to address representation while keeping the Wit & Wisdom core materials. Maeve Moore, an instructional coach at Hannah Elementary, said teachers have observed gains in students’ oral language, vocabulary and ability to discuss module topics: “We can really see through K through 4… the changes that we see,” she said.

At the middle school, Lauren Oxford, humanities curriculum director at Beverly Middle School, said the district is in year 2 of a fifth‑grade implementation and year 1 for sixth through eighth grades using Reading Reconsidered novel studies. Oxford described a focus on vertical alignment and shared rubrics for writing so students experience consistent expectations from grade to grade.

High school staff presented survey and assessment data that they said point to higher student engagement with school reading. Paul Casey, who led the high‑school presentation, said a student survey of nearly 500 high‑school students found about 72% had read at least one book outside of class during the school year and nearly 70% said they enjoyed the texts read in school. Casey also reported recent MCAS results showing a strong combined score for achievement and growth in reading and writing; he said the high school’s accountability total was 7 out of 8 points in those categories. He noted the district cannot draw a single causal line from curricular changes to test outcomes but said the new texts and aligned instruction are one of several factors the district expects have helped.

Teachers and students gave concrete examples: fifth graders read Hatchet and The Phantom Tollbooth as part of module work and described fishbowl discussions, Socratic seminars and structured writing organizers. Two fifth‑grade students, Sadie Shaffner and Nora Kelly, spoke to the committee about how the lessons and writing structures helped them prepare for assessments and public discussion.

Funding and supports: Presenters credited DESE grant awards that funded professional development and coaching—$70,000 in an initial year and more than $200,000 in a later year for district‑wide training, according to the presentation. District staff said a portion of that funding paid for Great Minds facilitators, coaching series, cross‑building writing PD and module‑and‑lesson studies.

What’s next: Staff said next steps include continued grade‑level and vertical planning, expanding writing‑alignment work at the secondary level and ongoing coaching cycles. The committee did not take any formal votes on curriculum materials at the meeting; the presentations were given as updates and to solicit committee questions.

The presentation and student speakers drew committee praise; district leaders said they would bring more detail on assessments and next steps to the committee’s May meeting.

","At the April 9 meeting of the Beverly School Committee, district instructional leaders, coaches, teachers and students presented a progress report on a multi‑year K–12 shift to a knowledge‑based English language arts curriculum.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6081373,"School Committee schedules superintendent candidate visits April 14–16; public stakeholder feedback window follows interviews",491,6659000,7150000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2942758-3ef973fcb84339371b4ccba23011e5c9&start=6659&end=7150","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2942758-3ef973fcb84339371b4ccba23011e5c9/thumbnail_6659000.jpg","/articles/6081373/Massachusetts/School-Committee-schedules-superintendent-candidate-visits-April-1416-public-stakeholder-feedback-window-follows-interviews","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081373-a1145b67aa162842f971d2ce72baf34f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775917050&Signature=NnPsOieWbB6lppP5rFIn9nDTpeFPIEn-cfVIZK3xmwZgg47h7nCZt6aF6ZCmYkwG1IeaIu1zfhsbZpMJGBpFIY72q0dRrsMlrlnjwgUCHbxaEi8NachcCTGAuF52Ii6oyOKQ29bN5PPm8VjFwfvTFG4u47Hmooe6ULxc9oO2sQefcGsrs2A5R8QLYeCK-5yMNm2S3XqNqp8UaKGVHMgoNTnI2TLG2w6~indcoHQ0KowzELc7rRbBLC4sjAvZsnhbmUWrMpNfFmbcEuoDoQUP5KDf7WkWGwA2uvhpxgUPLVRG~JXi0QS6GJR0klkDHmxxUht0yqqgUvT3dGxHpDOXmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Beverly School Committee confirmed in‑district visit dates and public interview times for three finalists in the superintendent search at its April 9 meeting.

Schedule and process: The committee and search firm MASC (Massachusetts Association of School Committees) arranged in‑district visits and evening public sessions for the three finalists. The schedule published by the district lists:
- Monday, April 14 — Dr. Jennifer Turner (in‑district visits, afternoon staff/community sessions; interview at 7:30 p.m.)
- Tuesday, April 15 — Dr. Peter Cushing (in‑district visits; 7:30 p.m. interview)
- Wednesday, April 16 — Mr. Sean Gallagher (in‑district visits; 7:30 p.m. interview)

Each candidate will visit the district’s early‑childhood, elementary, middle and high‑school settings before an evening stakeholder session and the 7:30 p.m. interview. The search facilitator asked committee members to submit a short list of proposed interview questions in advance so she can coordinate and avoid overlap.

Stakeholder input and timeline: The district will solicit written feedback from staff, caregivers and community members through an online survey after each candidate’s in‑district day. Committee members will receive compiled stakeholder feedback after the visits; the committee set a deadline for consolidated feedback to be available to members the morning after the final visit (the meeting record noted a Thursday morning 10:00 a.m. window for compiled input). The committee emphasized that committee members should not conduct individual reference checks or separate outreach to candidates; MASC will manage references and vetting.

Why it matters: The superintendent selection is a high‑impact personnel decision for the district. The schedule provides several opportunities for staff, families and community members to meet the finalists and provide structured feedback to the committee before final deliberation.

Logistics: BevCam will broadcast the sessions and interviews for community members who cannot attend. The committee cautioned members to avoid informal social‑media canvassing about candidate answers and to rely on the compiled stakeholder survey and the formal interview record.

Next steps: Committee members were asked to forward 4–5 potential interview questions to the MASC facilitator; the committee will hold interviews the nights of April 14–16 and will review compiled stakeholder input when all three interviews are complete.","The Beverly School Committee and MASC set in‑district visit days and public interviews for three superintendent finalists April 14–16. The district will collect stakeholder feedback via an online survey after each candidate’s visit and make consolidated feedback available to committee members before the committee’s deliberations.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6081382,"School Committee approves school choice seats for 2025–26; kindergarten allocation set for revisit",1803,3460000,5263000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2942758-3ef973fcb84339371b4ccba23011e5c9&start=3460&end=5263","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2942758-3ef973fcb84339371b4ccba23011e5c9/thumbnail_3460000.jpg","/articles/6081382/Massachusetts/School-Committee-approves-school-choice-seats-for-202526-kindergarten-allocation-set-for-revisit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081382-614d755c2648d8c4d0817a4a60d1332a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775917050&Signature=nIsk9bq8WXP1TFpMDZ-P41dENHoU-rwUL54MfY~L4tu0USN~r0XbQjMQCc~sdMh9G9BsjacZgOBzQqF1N8341rIu23jNC0jURWygb0r6WzVbzIPjukXtvz08SI-UsXVQGiKPO3vgE7gmoOIkwv027o8wK6VzdMuyR3sh2DErBCcb-m4mDaQ3j-3du7VY0MvnuJiJBGZVQsBWQOME4MqE080ZmzTA4HRPyzhPZKvrnsXSwVj3u38ojeiv7-GIg7yaEbE~74wxAdhVRJcI-vPibxVw8Ia~Uqea0-o3~1xwOtK~wmbe34-tjnja~2cRUdmWY8o9cQRt2mCwjOf~Pxvnjw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its April 9 meeting the Beverly School Committee approved the number of nonresident \"school choice\" seats the district will offer for the 2025–26 school year, increasing openings for secondary grades while holding kindergarten at the current allocation for further review.

What the committee approved: After debate, the committee approved a configuration that sets 10 school choice seats per grade for grades 1–6, 15 seats per grade for grades 7–8, and 20 seats per grade for grades 9–12. The kindergarten allocation was left unchanged at 10 seats; committee members agreed to revisit the kindergarten number at the Committee‑of‑the‑Whole meeting on May 28.

How the vote moved: School Committee member Lorinda Visnick moved the initial proposal (which had proposed larger kindergarten openings); Doctor Jeffrey Silva seconded. Committee members discussed cohort sizes, classroom capacity, and fiscal considerations. An amendment to reduce the proposed kindergarten slots from 15 back to 10 was moved and carried on a 5–2 vote. The main motion as amended then passed by voice count (committee members recorded a 5–2 result in the meeting record).

Why it matters: School choice slots generate local revenue because the district bills the sending district or payscale set by the state for each nonresident student; the committee discussed school choice as a modest revenue source while weighing impacts on class sizes and special‑education caseloads. Committee members also noted that seats are filled via blind lottery when requests exceed openings and that sibling preference applies only where allowed. Committee members and district staff discussed timing and logistics: by state guidance committees must set seat counts by June 1 for the coming school year; the committee set a path to reconsider kindergarten on May 28 if registration trends shift.

Details and process notes: Presenters told the committee that kindergarten registration appeared lower than in recent years—roughly 40 vacant seats in kindergarten enrollment at the time of the meeting—and said some buildings had capacity. The committee debated whether to expand kindergarten openings now or hold steady until more enrollment data is available; members who opposed expansion cited concerns about concentration of new students in a single grade and current classroom/IEP pressures. Supporters of expansion cited community demand for seats and the benefits of offering choice to families who work in or move to Beverly.

Votes at a glance (formal outcomes recorded at the meeting):
- Motion to set school choice seats (amended): PASSED, recorded 5 yes, 2 no. (Motion as amended sets K=10; grades 1–6=10 per grade; grades 7–8=15 per grade; grades 9–12=20 per grade.)
- Amendment to reduce kindergarten from 15 to 10: PASSED, recorded 5 yes, 2 no.

Operational notes: The district said families must apply by the May 1 deadline for lottery consideration; lotteries are typically run in mid‑May and offers are made by June 1. The district confirmed that school choice students are not eligible for district‑provided transportation and that the base reimbursement for a school‑choice student is a standard state amount, with incremental adjustments if a choice student receives special‑education services.

What’s next: The committee directed staff to return to the May 28 Committee of the Whole with updated kindergarten enrollment information and, if appropriate, a revised seat recommendation before June 1.","The Beverly School Committee voted to set open‑enrollment ('school choice') seats for the 2025–26 school year, increasing secondary openings while temporarily holding kindergarten seats at current levels pending a May 28 review. The committee amended an initial proposal and approved a final seat configuration after public discussion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Superintendent presents draft FY26 budget; district requests $6.44 million from city, seeks further revenues

Beverly reports multi‑year shift to knowledge‑based ELA curriculum; coaches and students cite improvements

School Committee schedules superintendent candidate visits April 14–16; public stakeholder feedback window follows interviews

School Committee approves school choice seats for 2025–26; kindergarten allocation set for revisit